Our #6 hitter in the 2017 Valley League season is New Market’s Jacob Rhinesmith!
Here is what the lefty did for the Rebels in both the regular season and the playoffs:
| VBL | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | CS | Avg | OBP | SLG |
| 2017 | 30 | 122 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 33 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0.369 | 0.438 | 0.549 |
| Play | 3 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.533 | 0.714 |
Jacob finished 5th in the league in batting average, 6th in OPS, 9th in on-base percentage, 6th in slugging percentage, tied for 5th in RBIs, tied for 9th in triples, and tied for 10th in doubles. He was named to the All-Valley League in the outfield.
Jacob had not only one of the hottest hitting streaks I’ve seen in the Valley, but he had two streaks that were rather jaw-dropping.
On July 15th, Jacob got off the Reb’s old white school bus hitting 291/378/443. He went 6-6 that night, along with 2 doubles, 3 runs, and 6 RBIs (easily named the hitter of the day), and then 6-11 over the next two games, raising his line to 365/430/552. Over the 3 games, he hit 3 doubles, a home run, scored 7 runs, and had 9 RBIs. In fact, that performance on July 15th may be one of the best the Valley League has ever seen.
If that weren’t enough, he had a five-game stretch from July 25 to 30 in which he went 15-27 with 9 runs, a double, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI. It seems that when Jacob is locked in, he’s exceedingly difficult to retire.
Jacob, a native of Shakopee, Minnesota, attended Indian Hills Community College, in Iowa, his first two college seasons. He has signed with Western Kentucky for the 2018 college season. Here are his stats for 2016 and 2017:
| I.H. | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | K | SB | CS | Avg | OBP | SLG |
| 2016 | 50 | 163 | 26 | 44 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0.270 | 0.377 | 0.472 |
| 2017 | 61 | 231 | 54 | 94 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 59 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 0.407 | 0.461 | 0.675 |
Just take a look at that 2017 line- Jacob hit .400, double figures in doubles and home runs, one more strikeout than walks… and he led his team in batting average, at-bats, hits, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and stolen bases. Wow. His production will be difficult to replace! He was named a 2nd team NJCAA All-American in 2017, and to the North All-District squad.
Jacob also left a fun keepsake with his host family when he returned home at the end of the summer- see below. Classy move!
Congrats, Jacob, and good luck at Western Kentucky!
All Things Valley League 
Indeed Jacob Rhinesmith had a spectacular season for the New Market Rebels. His dad, Russ (in from MN), and paternal granddad, Don (in from NJ), were in town for parents weekend and got to see his amazing 6-for-6 night on July 15. Also worth mentioning – Jacob had a 13-game hitting streak (July 1-July 19) and in his 10 games after July 15, he had one 4-hit game and five 3-hit games! The Hilltoppers have added a really good one to their roster.